Markus Vinzent's Blog

Thursday, 14 May 2015

This sermon
was available on the Internet in an English translation (see footnote below), although, the link seems to have disappeared (I give the old link which, strangely enough, is still working), and I have translated the text anew in the light of other work I have done on Eckhart:

◊1◊ One can appropriately
introduce this verse for the commemoration of Saint Augustine, wherein,
amongst others, he is commended in three ways which are implied in the
metaphor of a vessel: first, in the preciousness of the material, for by
‘gold’ we have to understand ‘wisdom’, when [it is said], a vessel of gold, second, in its characteristics,
when [it is said], adorned with
whatever most precious stone, third, in the magnitude of its weight, when
[it is said], pure.

◊2◊ First, therefore, he is commended
by the preciousness of the material, for the breath of wisdom and knowledge
gathered under his many talents. For he was a good theorist, an exceptional locutor,
and a most excellent ethicist. For in such a way do the Masters divide for us
the science of philosophy, namely into theory, logic, and ethics or practical
[philosophy]. And according to these three, which so in turn occupy men, that
they were never seen to rest for any time from any of these three: thinking, talking,
and doing. Theory or speculation is further divided into mathematics,
physics, and ethics or theology. ‘On natural things, however, one has to
ponder rationally, on mathematicals systematically, and on divine things
intellectually; and neither to be drawn to images, but rather to refer to
form, which truly is form, not image, and which is being and from which being
is’, as [one reads] in Boethius' book On
the Trinity, ‘all being is from form’. The mathematician, however, separates
the forms and shapes which are indeed inherent of matter, by way of
disciplined consideration, the scientist of physics, i.e. of nature, makes
inquiries into the causes of quality, motion, and quantity, the moral
philosopher or theologian more subtly looks closely into the ideas of things
which are in the divine mind, before they come forth into bodies, according
to which mode they exist there from eternity in an intelligible manner.

◊3◊ And of the divine things,
sometimes it is argued according to the highest authorities, at other times,
by means of examples searched for outside [these], but at other times the divine
substance itself without subjected matter is contemplated. Saint Augustine
made use of authorities when he first wants to lead us to the trinity of
persons with their unity of essence and introduces it from Genesis: Let us make man according to our image and likeness [Gen. 1:26], and through the plural
form of the verb understanding the trinity and by means of the singular of
the noun declaring the unity of substance. The example is also used by Plato
in the Timaeus, when speaking about
the highest principle of all things, he says, ‘it is thus impossible to say
anything about God, just as it is difficult to find him, and so one flees to
the similitude of things, examples and amongst all created things only to
that one which one finds most similar [to God]’. And John the Evangelist, when
he dares to speak of the uncreated word, calls it light [John 1:4],
because light is the first and universal species of corporeal forms, as well
as the principle of life in bodies. And thus the word of God, the Father, is ‘the
substance of’ all ‘that exists’, and ‘principle and cause of all substance
and life’, according to Dionysus' On
the Divine Names.

◊4◊ And thus on [his] way the theologian
reaches a twofold knowledge; one is through
a mirror and in darkness [1Cor.
12:13], the other is through a mirror and in light. The first happens in
three ways, namely by taking away, by eminence and by causality. Taking away
proceeds in the following manner: no body is God, nothing intelligibly
created is God. And as a recognicable thing is being shown by way of sense or
intellect, God, indeed, cannot be recognised by way of sense or intellect,
because he is incorporeal and has not a known form like us, but [he can only
be recognised] solely through the removal of the other form, which as if by
selecting it was separated and by separating it was selected, which Boethius introduces
in his book On the Two Natures: ‘God
and matter cannot be grasped wholly and perfectly by the intellect, but they
may be grasped by another way of privation of other things’. Therefore,
Dionysius says that our affirmations about God are incompletely made or said,
whereas negations are true. By eminence, he [God] becomes known, when in a
single way something that is more noble and more eminent is attributed to
God, according to which Augustine says in Confessions
X: ‘Who makes things beautiful, is more beautiful; things strong, is stronger,
and who made things good, is better. Learn therefore, human being to know the
creator from the creatures, do not cling to things which have been made, loosing
the one through whom it has been made’. By cause, he [God] becomes known when
we resolve all that is moveable to the one immovable; all that is varied to the
one invariable, all that is corporeal to the simple one, and all multiplicity
to the first one, who, indeed, is ‘the principle and cause of all’ those
which are. The one, indeed, in the generating of all prior to the multiple
things, and he is simple by natural priority before anything composed according
to the Philosopher [Aristotle] in On
Heaven and Earth.

◊5◊ Secondly, how [God] becomes
known on the way through a mirror and in light, when, for example, the divine
light, through its own effect, shines on something special beyond the powers to
know and beyond the mean of cognition, elevating the intellect itself to that
what it can naturally not achieve. ‘Truly the feeble sight of the human mind
is not remedied in so excellent a light, unless it is first cleansed more purely
through the justice of faith’, according to Augustine in the book On the Trinity. And in book VII
[10:16] of the Confessions he says:
‘Eternal truth, true love and beloved eternity, you are my God, to you I sigh
both day and night [Ps. 1:2]. When I first knew you, you
raised me up [see Ps. 26:10]’. See,
in which way he says that he was raised up, so that he saw the being that he
say, ‘yet I was naked, when I saw, but you cast aside the infirmity of my
sight, shining heavily into me, and I trembled with love and fear; and I
found myself to be far off from you, in a land of dissimilitude’.

◊6◊ And this cognition operates
towards three things: First, towards the annunciation of hidden or future
things; second, towards things that have to be done for benefit, third towards
the foretasting of divine sweetness. The first is the prophetic way; the second
happens in graced habits until they carry fruits; the third takes place in
the ecstasy of the mind, and this means in the fruits. The second and third
were perfectly present in him [Augustine], because it is spoken about the
third one according to that which exists in the practical intellect. This cognition
by science or wisdom, like tasting wisdom, sometimes comes into a person in a
heavy affect. See how that vessel of
gold is commended by the preciousness of its material, i.e. its usefulness
for knowledge. And according to this such kind and breath of science did not
happen in the material of vice, but of virtue. Therefore, it is said in book
XIII of the Confessions: ‘Give
yourself to me, my God, give yourself back to me’, for I do not love the places of honour at table [Matth. 23:6] nor salutation in the square [Matth.
6:2], nor to be called ‘Rabbi’ by human
beings [Matth. 23:7], but ‘I
love you, and if that is not enough, make me able to love you more. How much is
my love still lacking? I can never know, so give to my life your bounty and shelter
me in the shadow of your presence. Only this I know, my life is worthless to
me, not only the things outside myself, but things within myself, and [this]
is my poverty, all the treasures I have which are not God.’

◊7◊ Second, Saint Augustine is
commended for the characteristics of this which is said to be adorned with whatever most precious stone.
The characteristics in itself is an exhibition of virtue in action, and
virtue is well-called free form, because something is through form, according
to Boethius in On the Trinity. And
it is well said to be through virtue, because just as men are improperly said
to be dead, so the evil person is improperly said to be. Being, namely, is ‘what
retains order and preserves nature’ according to Boethius in book III of the Consolation. And virtue is order
according to Augustine, indeed the order of love, for the one who has virtue keeps
order and, preserves nature. ‘Nothing
that [truly] serves nature can be contrary to God’, according to Boethius in
the same place.

◊8◊ Wisdom, therefore, of Saint
Augustine was for him the matter of virtue, namely monastic, political, and
theological virtue. Monastic virtue directs and perfects human being in itself
because its work is the submission of the flesh. The act of monastic virtue
is <this: its fruit is> spiritual delight from the splendid exercise of
good works; of political virtue, it is the obtaining the friendship with fellow-citizens;
and from the entire preservation of the spirit the act of theological virtue
is obtained as spiritual effect from the grace of God. Its fruit is that one,
from where [one reads] at Gal.
5[:22]: The fruit of the spirit are
love, joy. Of that joy Jes. Sir.
30[:16 writes]: There is no greater
riches than bodily health, and there is no delight greater than a joyous
heart. On that joy Augustine says in book X of the Confessions: ‘There is a joy not granted to the impious, but only
to those who abide by grace in you’, Lord, ‘and you, yourself, are this joy.
The blessed life is this, to rejoice unto you, in you, and with you. This is
life and no other’.

◊9◊ Political virtue is the
splendid exercise of good works, and it perfects human being and directs one
in the community of citizens. These are the works of political virtue: it exhibits
its deeds for friends in God and for enemies, insofar as God is in them, as [it
is said]: If your enemy is hungry, give
him something to eat; if thirsty, give him something to drink [Rom. 12:20]. The fruit which follows
from this is not just love of the citizen, but even the vindicating love of
our enemies. Therefore, [one reads at] Rom.
12[:20]: In doing this you will
heap red hot coals upon your head. And ad Rom. 12[:20]: Your head is
the mind of the soul, upon which coals are heaped when through the anticipation
of kindness they are compelled to give back.

◊10◊ Theological virtue perfects
a human being in relation to God, because it is a entire preservation of the
spirit from the subjection of the flesh. The fruit of it is the effect of
spiritual grace for the perfection of justice.

◊11◊ But because we are not able to
know God other than through His effects, we must therefore distinguish seven
manners of grace having come into the vessel so adorned. It comes first in
the manner of a cooling snow, and so it leaves its effect on the soul, namely
cooling the heat of fleshly desires. Second, it comes through the manner of dense
dew, and so it leaves its effect on the soul, namely the intensifying of desires
for eternal things. Third, it comes through the manner of an inebriating
wine, and so it leaves its effect on the soul, namely in the forgetfulness of
all mutable things. Fourth, it comes through the manner of ointment that
penetrates to what it is applied, and so it leaves its effect in the soul,
namely the illumination of and the burning for God. Fifth, it comes through
the manner of a purging fire, and so it leaves its effect in the soul, namely
that perfect purification. Sixth, it comes through the manner of light,
uniting itself with what is subjected to it, and so it leaves its effect in
the soul, namely one's transformation into the image of God (Gen. 1:26).
Seventh, it comes through the manner of the spirit blowing vehemently, and so
it leaves its effect in the soul, namely giving up one's natural life. Behold,
in this way Saint Augustine was enriched, and so he is called a chosen vessel
for his character.

◊12◊ Third, Saint Augustine is
praised for the magnitude of that which he pondered, [for it] is called
“solid.” Magnitude in weight is intensity in relation to love, about which he
himself has said: “As much as I love you, Good Jesus, your love is like a spring,
whereas I am parched. You have loved me without limits. Indeed, I know my
deeds. I lay my whole being before you, because nothing more is possible. I will
drink, if you but command. I know only this, I shall not be satisfied until I
am made completely [yours] in love” which he deigns to offer us, God who
lives. Amen.

This sermon has been recounted from the mouth of Meister Eckhart of Hochheim,
on the Feast of Saint Augustine, at Paris.

[1]This translation takes note of (although often deviating from) the
translation provided by M. Demkovich, OP; P. Hyde, and J.D. Rooney, and edited
by M. Demkovich, OP, available at https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxheWNhcmR1c3Byb2plY3R8Z3g6MmY3ZDY0NTUzYmJjN2IzNw.

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About Me

I am passionate about history, philosophy, late antique and medieval theologies, the way our current world came about, and how to understand it, in order to shape it for future generations. The role of religions seems to be paramount for a global success of a harmonic living together of people of different wakes, life-styles, cultures and ambitions. Please do join this blog, as it gives insights into my research and the questions that occupy me.